Top 5 Fried Chicken Joints Across America

By Aaron WelshMarch 28th, 2014

Some people think that there’s nothing more American than Apple pie, but in this author's opinion the REAL quintessential American food has got to be fried chicken. From its humble beginning in the South to the latest fancy food trend, it's clear that fried chicken is here to stay. The Chew scoured the US and found the top 5 fried chicken joints you HAVE to try!

1. Husk - Charleston, SCFried chicken purists unite! Husk has the real deal down South comfort food we all love! Let's count the reasons you should go. 1) Head chef Sean Brock is a James Beard Awarding winning chef. 2) Husk was recently named the Best Restaurant in America by Bon Appétit magazine. 3) They marinate the chicken in Sweet Tea. If that doesn't get your taste buds going, I don't know what will.

2. Honey Butter - Chicago, ILSome people like sweet and some people like salty, but everyone loves sweet AND salty. After a happy accident, the mad geniuses at Honey Butter started serving up their amazing fried chicken with Honey Butter (the most fabulous sweet and salty combination ever)! How has nobody thought of doing this before!?!

3. Country Cat - Portland, ORI know what you're thinking, "fried chicken in Portland!?" With that mentality you would have passed right over this gem of the Pacific Northwest. This husband and wife team splits the duties with Adam making a fried chicken that takes 3 days to prepare and his wife Jackie utilizing her pastry background to prepare the flakiest biscuits around.

4. D Bar - Denver, COWalk into D Bar and you'll know just by the smell that husband & wife chef team Keegan Gerhard and Lisa Bailey have figured it out when it comes to food. They take the foods everyone knows and twist them into new dishes you're sure to love. For fried chicken, they took the classic chicken and waffles and replaced the plain waffle with a cheesy herbed version (arguably more cheese than waffle) and served it up in sandwich form with heirloom tomatoes and honey mustard.

5. Hill Country Chicken - New York, NYElizabeth Karmel has taken the big apple by storm and created the first premium fried chicken joint in New York City. Many have said it before, but Elizabeth is one of the few who can say her chicken tastes just like grandma used to make.